A preliminary injunction issued Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Michael Watson increases the chances that Republican Gov. John Kasich will face a third-party challenger as he seeks re-election this fall.

Watson's ruling comes in a constitutional challenge filed by the Libertarian Party of Ohio to a law that opponents call "The John Kasich Re-election Protection Act." The law signed in November established what qualifies as a political party and what percentage of the vote must be won to maintain that status.

No minor party operating in the state gained the percentage of votes in the last election that the law would have required to remain a qualified party for the May primary.